Advancing Solar Energy Development in Your Community

Register here.

January 19, 2017
9:30 – noon*
Prairie Center for the Performing Arts, 201 Schaumburg Ct, Schaumburg, IL 60193

Local governments have an important role in fostering the growth of solar energy. Municipal plans, policies and practices can become solar-friendly while communities can enjoy economic growth, and foster the creation of new, clean-tech jobs in the solar industry.  Local solar energy is critical to meeting future global energy demands and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee and the Great Plains Institute invite you to a workshop to learn about:

Session 1 Workshop (9:30 – noon)

Open to all.

  1. Comprehensive plans that describe solar resources and encourage development;
  2. Regulations that explicitly address solar development in its varied forms;
  3. Permitting processes that are predictable, transparent, and documented;
  4. Public sector investment in the community’s solar resources; and
  5. Local programs to limit market barriers and enable private sector solar development.

Brian Ross, AICP, LEED GA, Senior Program Director at the Great Plains Institute, will be the primary workshop presenter.  Brian developed solar best practice toolkits for local government in four states, including Illinois. Also, he helped form the Department of Energy’s “SolSmart” certification program for communities and has provided direct assistance to dozens of local governments across the Midwest on incorporating clean energy, resiliency, and sustainability into local codes, plans, and programs.

Register here.

Open to pilot Sol Smart communities

*Session 2- Sol Smart Community Work Session (12:30 PM – 2:00 PM)

The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus encourages municipalities to enroll in the Sol Smart program by January 31, 2017 and will collaborate to provide technical assistance to earn designation.  If you would like to be a part of the cohort working towards Sol Smart designation, please contact Edith Makra, Director of Environmental Initiatives, at emakra@mayorscaucus.org or 312-201-4506. Communities must have adopted or plan to adopt the Greenest Region Compact 2, consensus sustainability goals to participate in the cohort in 2017.

This additional working session to develop Sol Smart applications and satisfy program requirements will follow the Workshop, above.   Contact emakra@mayorscaucus.org to register.